Missed Opportunities
by MillionMoments
Summary: Richard explains himself about seventeen years too late.


Title: Missed Opportunities

Rating: K+

Category: Richard/Original Female Character, Richard/Camille, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Character History, one shot

Summary: Richard has to explain himself about 17 years too late.

A/N: Another idea that hit me whilst out walking. I have been working on other stories this weekend, but this is the only one that allowed itself to be completed.

* * *

"Oh my God, it _is _you."

He knew that voice, though the image it conjured up was nearly 17 years old – big brown eyes contrasting with masses of blonde hair that never really looked fully tamed. When he looked up from his drink towards the source of the exclamation he was taken aback by the distinct lack of those long tresses – the woman before him sported a pixie haircut. But she was still blonde, and still really quite gorgeous.

She mistook his surprise at the change in hairstyle for a lack of recognition, laughing lightly and asking, "Don't you recognise me? Have I aged that much?"

"No, of course not!" He replied quickly, voice box finally functioning again.

"No, you don't recognise me or no…" She began to query, and he hurried to answer, aware he had messed up as usual.

"No, of course you haven't aged that much. And of course I recognise you, Sharon. You look, um, fantastic, how have you been?" Beside him, Camille wore an expression of bemusement mixed with curiosity. He could also see Catherine watching from behind the bar as well. Richard really wished he had bumped into Sharon when those two weren't around.

"I'm great, I'm _really_ great," Sharon told him sincerely, before turning to Camille. "I'm sorry to just barge in on your evening like a mad woman, you see Simon and I used to work together years ago."

"Seventeen years," he clarified, and was surprised to find there was a slightly wistful note to his voice.

If Camille was surprised by Sharon calling him Simon, she didn't show it – clearly putting all that undercover training to good use. Instead she fixed a bright smile on her face and assumed a politely interested look, "Oh, you used to work with _Simon_? Where was that?" Sharon didn't notice the way Camille emphasised the name, but Richard did.

"An insurance firm," she took Camille's question as an invitation to sit down, which Richard suspected Camille had rather wanted. He squirmed with discomfit, aware of the very awkward conversation that was looming. "Simon, I really should take this opportunity to thank you. I mean, you found that other job and really pushed me to apply for it, helped me out loads with the interview prep as well. It was really nice of you considering you were just as qualified for the position as I was and it was better money and well and, you know, if I hadn't have gotten that job when I did who knows where I would be today! I'm a partner in that firm now. Oh God, look at me! Bragging about my success when you were still working there when, well, _you know_."

"Oh, what happened?" Camille probed, causing Richard to have to suppress a sigh. He decided to answer for Sharon, since the woman was looking more than a little embarrassed.

"It was subject to a major fraud investigation, all of the directors were arrested and some of the other staff members as well. After that the company collapsed, as you might expect." Richard was pretty sure Camille would figure out the truth of the matter from that, he was more worried about exactly what to tell Sharon.

"Naturally I didn't think you were involved, Simon! In fact when I heard I even went into the police station to make a voluntary statement and I made it clear I was sure you, like me, had no idea what was really going on. They didn't seem to take me very seriously though, in fact they seemed a bit amused by it…when I couldn't get hold of you after it all came out in the media I was worried that, well, you might have been wrongly arrested. But then your name was never mentioned in conjunction with any of the reports from the trial so I thought maybe you'd just, uh, moved on."

Camille was shooting him a look that indicated he should be feeling bloody guilty about making such a sweet woman worry about him and he better tell her the truth immediately. Mind he wasn't normally that good at reading people – so perhaps he was just projecting his own thoughts onto her.

Anyway, best bite the bullet. "Yeah, um Sharon, my name isn't Simon - it's Richard. Richard Poole. I was, well I still am, a police detective and I was undercover when I worked with you gathering evidence as part of that fraud investigation." He sat back and prepared to be shouted at.

Initially, she appeared a little shaken by the revelation, but then smiled and said, "Right, yes, well I'm glad. Stop looking so worried! Its good nothing bad happened to you! Actually it explains a couple of other things as well…"

He frowned, "What other things?"

"Well, you'll think it's stupid I'm sure, but I sort of thought you got me that other job because you rather liked me but were too professional to embark on an office romance," Her face assumed a 'silly me' expression, Richard refrained from commenting. She seemed to think a further explanation of her assumption was required and continued, "You know I did think it was strange that you didn't go for the job yourself – if you got it than you would have the same result of us working two different places, but I thought maybe you were trying to sweeten me up by getting me the other job. Then I did, and well, you never rang…" She trailed off, biting her lip and looking a bit awkward. "Now I know you were just being nice, encouraging me to leave before the whole company collapsed."

"Well, you know, I knew you didn't have a clue about the fraud so I didn't think there would be any harm in pointing out some other options to you…" He hoped that confirmed what she had just said, so she wouldn't delve into the subject any deeper. It had been _at least_ 3 weeks since he last felt this awkward.

"Right, yes, well that was very kind of you."

There followed another rather pregnant pause, and this time Camille stepped in to fill the silence – asking politely, "So, Sharon, what brings you to Saint Marie?"

"My husband and I are here celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary," She replied, looking grateful to be able to move the conversation along. "I'm sorry, I don't even know your name, are you Simon's, sorry, Richard's wife or, uh, girlfriend?"

"No!" Richard denied quickly and possibly a little too emphatically. "Uh, Sharon this is Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey, she works with me. I'm stationed on Saint Marie now."

"How lovely for you to live in such a beautiful place all of the time!"

"Yes," he said without elaborating further for fear he wouldn't manage to sound sincere enough.

Sharon gave him a small smile, one he could detect was a little strained now, he imagined she was probably angrier at him than she was letting on, "Anyway, I'm supposed to meet my husband shortly. I just saw you from the street and couldn't resist coming over to say hello. It was good to see you, Richard. Take care."

"Bye," he mumbled, and then glared at his tea so he wouldn't watch her walk away. Without really meaning to he muttered 'damn' under his breath. He could feel Camille's eyes on him and eventually looked up to find her grinning. He instantly knew his embarrassment was not over for the evening just yet.

"You were sweet on her!" Camille seemed inordinately delighted by the idea.

"I was not!" His denial was completely useless of course.

"Oh please Richard, you do _everything_ by the book. The only explanation for why you would get her out of there before the arrests started is that you liked her! Why didn't you ever call her?"

"Well I thought the conversation where I explained that I was not an insurance actuary but an undercover police officer and wasn't even called Simon might be a bit awkward! And, since I have just have just had that exact conversation, I can confirm I was right!" He'd raised his voice in frustration, gaining the attention of the other customers, which was the last thing he wanted. He didn't apologise for shouting though, instead just stared glumly at the table. The truth was he had thought about it a million times but convinced himself she could never actually like _him_.

"Oh, I think she would have gotten over it," Camille said, which really wasn't very helpful. "To think, if you had called her perhaps it would be you here with her celebrating your tenth anniversary!"

"No, if she were with me we wouldn't be in the Caribbean. I'd probably drag the poor woman to Northumberland or the Shetland Islands," he joked rather weakly.

"Well I'm sure those places are beautiful as well." It was unusual for Camille to concede that somewhere in the UK might actually compare in beauty to Saint Marie and Richard concluded she must be feeling sorry for him.

"Well there isn't any point moping about thinking about missed opportunities," he said in what he hoped was a sage tone, and one that brought the conversation to an end.

"Yes, not to mention if you had ended up marrying her you might not ever have come to Saint Marie and met me!" She said brightly.

"Why my stomach clenches in fear at the mere thought of it, Camille," he said sarcastically, even though it was actually quite true. Why was he completely incapable of expressing that, then?

She gave a small huff, "Oh for goodness sake Richard, can't you say something nice for once? Is it really so difficult to say 'I guess it would be a shame if I had never met you'?"

"Yes," he replied quickly.

"Yeah, I suppose it would be difficult for you! I _swear_ you are the most repressed of your countrymen, Richard, and…"

He cut her off mid-flow, "No, I mean, yes it would be a shame if I never had met you."

"Oh," was all Camille managed, clearly taken aback by his response.

Before she was able to say anything remotely sentimental in reply, he stood quickly and told her, "I'm just going to ask your mother if there is any chance of more tea. Do you want anything?"

"Another beer would be great. Richard, um, thank you." The way she emphasised her thanks made him think it was probably for more than just the beer. He didn't quite have the guts to look back at her whilst he was waiting, but then he caught her expression in the mirror behind the bar. She was smiling contentedly, sneaking glances in his direction from time to time.

Richard thought this time he might not miss his opportunity.


End file.
